ESP Guitars hit the ground running in 2024 with the introduction of 19 new additions to the company’s popular LTD Deluxe Series.
Two new models were added to the Arrow Series with the Arrow-1000 (Dark Brown Sunburst Satin)and the Arrow-1007 Baritone EverTune (Black). Both guitars feature the beveled body and completelyunique V shape of the ESP Arrow, and both offer neck-thru-body construction, stainless steel frets, and aset of Fishman’s multi-voice Fluence Modern Humbucker pickups. The Arrow-1007 Baritone EverTune isa seven-string model at 27” baritone scale that also includes the EverTune constant tension bridge.
The SN-1 HTBaritone (Black) is another 27” baritone scale guitar that’s built with bolt-on construction. It features adense swamp ash body and a bolt-on five-piece thin u-shaped roasted maple/purple heart neck,Macassar ebony fingerboard with 24 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets, scalloped from frets 17-24.Components include a black bone nut, a Hipshot hardtail bridge with string thru body, and a multi-voiceFishman Fluence Modern Humbucker active bridge pickupA new addition to the Viper Series comes with the LTD Deluxe Viper-1000 (Vintage Black). This double-horned guitar is built at 24.75” scale with set-thru construction. It features a Macassar ebony fingerboardwith 22 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets, a TonePros TOM bridge and tailpiece, and a set of multi-voiceFishman Fluence Modern Humbucker active pickups. The XJ-1 HT (Black Blast) offers bolt-onconstruction at 25.5” scale, with a textured sandblasted Black Blast finish on its swamp ash body. Otherfeatures include a roasted maple neck, tilt-back reverse headstock, Macassar ebony fingerboard with 22extra-jumbo stainless steel frets, a Hipshot hardtail bridge with string thru body, and a Fishman FluenceOpen Core Classic bridge pickup with two voices accessible via push-pull control.Detailed information and specs on the entire LTD Deluxe Series is available on the ESP web site at www.espguitars.com.
LTD EC
ESP’s single-cutaway LTD EC Series received several new additions that include the EC-01FT, availablein Black, Olympic White, and Vintage Burst finishes. The EC-01FT is a streamlined take on the ECdesign, with a flat-top body and clean electronics layout. Features and components on the EC-01FTinclude set-thru construction at 24.75” scale, a slightly wider 43mm nut, 22 extra-jumbo stainless steelfrets, and a recessed TonePros TOM bridge with string thru body. The EC-01FT also features the Custom14, a new custom pickup designed exclusively for ESP by Seymour Duncan that is purpose-built to coverthe specific needs of the ESP player, with a push-pull control to split the coils. Other new additions to theLTD Deluxe EC Series include newly-updated EC-1000 (Black) and EC-1000 (See Thru Black Cherry)models that now feature Fishman Fluence pickups, and the EC-1007 Baritone EverTune (Black), whichis a seven-string guitar at 27” baritone scale that features an EverTune constant tension bridge.
LTD Deluxe H3
The LTD Deluxe H3-1000FR (Metallic Silver) offers set-thru construction at 25.5” scale, an extra-thinmaple neck, Macassar ebony fingerboard with 24 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets, a Floyd Rose 1000 SEdouble-locking tremolo with stainless steel screws, and a direct-mounted pickup set that includes theexclusive Seymour Duncan Custom 14 paired with a cosmetically-matching Seymour Duncan APH-1Alnico II Pro humbucker in the neck position. The new M-1001 (Charcoal Metallic Satin) provides a flat-top alder body and satin-backed, extra-thin u-shaped three-piece maple neck. Built with bolt-onconstruction at 25.5” scale, the M-1001 includes a Macassar ebony fingerboard, 24 extra-jumbo stainlesssteel frets, a Floyd Rose 1000 tremolo, and a direct-mount Fishman Fluence Modern Humbucker multi-voice active pickup.
LTD M-1007
The LTD Deluxe M-1007 Baritone (Charcoal Burst Satin) is a seven-string guitarthat features set-thru construction at 27” baritone scale, and an alder body with quilted maple top. This model also includes an extra-thin u-shaped three-piece maple neck, Macassar ebony fingerboard with 24extra-jumbo stainless steel frets, a Floyd Rose 1000 SE tremolo with stainless steel screws, and a set ofdirect-mounted multi-voice Fishman Fluence Modern Humbucker active pickups.— more —The MH-1000 EverTune (Charcoal Burst) combines design elements of ESP’s H/Horizon models, like itsarchtop body, and from the M/Mirage guitars, like its inline headstock and extra-thin u-shaped neck. Itoffers set-thru construction at 25.5” scale, a mahogany body with flamed maple top, 24 extra-jumbostainless steel frets, and the innovative EverTune constant tension bridge. Pickups on the MH-1000EverTune are Fishman’s innovative active multi-voice Fishman Fluence Modern Humbucker activepickups. The MH-1000NT (Charcoal Burst) is a similar guitar that offers a TonePros locking TOM bridgewith string thru body.ESP’s new LTD Deluxe Phoenix-1001 (Tobacco Sunburst) is a neck-thru-body guitar at 25.5” scale witha three-piece mahogany neck, a Macassar ebony fingerboard with 22 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets, aTonePros TOM locking bridge and tailpiece, and the versatile and dynamic Seymour Duncan Custom 14,a new pickup made exclusively for ESP that offers high output and extraordinary tonal balance.
SN-1000
Three new additions have ben announced in the SN Series. The SN-1000 EverTune Koa (Natural Satin)offers bolt-on construction at 25.5” scale, and features a mahogany body topped with Hawaiian Koa. Itincludes a satin-finished thin u-shaped maple neck, and a Macassar ebony fingerboard with 22 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets, and is scalloped from frets 15-22. Other features include the innovativeEverTune constant tension bridge, and a special set of pickups with an ESP-exclusive Seymour DuncanCustom 14 and a cosmetically-matching Seymour Duncan APH-1 Alnico II Pro humbucker. TheSN-1007HT Baritone (Fire Blast) provides the SN shape in a 27” baritone scale, with a sandblasted FireBlast finish on its swamp ash body, a 48mm black bone nut, a Hipshot hardtail bridge with string thrubody, and a set of multi-voice Fishman Fluence Modern Humbucker active pickups.
The SN-1 HT Baritone (Black) is another 27” baritone scale guitar that’s built with bolt-on construction. It features adense swamp ash body and a bolt-on five-piece thin u-shaped roasted maple/purple heart neck,Macassar ebony fingerboard with 24 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets, scalloped from frets 17-24.Components include a black bone nut, a Hipshot hardtail bridge with string thru body, and a multi-voiceFishman Fluence Modern Humbucker active bridge pickupA new addition to the Viper Series comes with the LTD Deluxe Viper-1000 (Vintage Black). This double-horned guitar is built at 24.75” scale with set-thru construction. It features a Macassar ebony fingerboardwith 22 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets, a TonePros TOM bridge and tailpiece, and a set of multi-voiceFishman Fluence Modern Humbucker active pickups. The XJ-1 HT (Black Blast) offers bolt-onconstruction at 25.5” scale, with a textured sandblasted Black Blast finish on its swamp ash body. Otherfeatures include a roasted maple neck, tilt-back reverse headstock, Macassar ebony fingerboard with 22extra-jumbo stainless steel frets, a Hipshot hardtail bridge with string thru body, and a Fishman FluenceOpen Core Classic bridge pickup with two voices accessible via push-pull control.
Detailed information and specs on the entire LTD Deluxe Series is available on the ESP web site at www.espguitars.com.
The rockin’ riff lords take Fender’s squeaky-clean sound palettes and blast them with dirt on their latest tour.
Hard rockers Baroness were busy writing during the early days of the pandemic, sharing ideas and bits of songs over weekly video calls until they had enough for a new record. Then, after scouting for potential recording locations, they rented an Airbnb in a tiny town in New York and got to work.
The band brought all their gear along with them: They literally loaded up a U-Haul truck and left no pedal behind—a bit unnecessary in retrospect. At the end of their stay, they’d all but finished their sixth studio album, Stone, which was released in September 2023. On their recent summer tour supporting the record, the quartet played Nashville’s Basement East, where PG’s Chris Kies met up with vocalist/guitarist John Baizley, guitarist Gina Gleason, and bassist Nick Jost to get an in-depth look at their current road rigs.
Franken-backer
Baizley received this custom-built Rickenbacker during the band’s sessions for Stone. It’s got the body and electronics of a Rick 620 but the neck of a 660 model. The Rick and Gleason’s Tele fill in the sonic gaps for each other.
I Think I Smell a Strat
Baizley’s other two primary guitars are these Fender Stratocasters. The first is an American Pro II with a tortoiseshell pickguard and HSS pickup configuration; the second is an original American Pro. The AmPro II lives in heavier tunings and takes a set of .012–.052s, but Baizley prefers both in the fourth position of the 5-way selector switch to build space around Gleason’s leads.
Tele Twins
Gleason rocks two Fender Telecasters, again from both the American Pro I and II series. She actually prefers the first iteration of the V-Mod pickups for their aggression and grit in live contexts, while the V-Mod IIs make for a smoother recording weapon. One stays in D-standard tuning while the other is in C standard with a dropped A#. Gleason strings them with .009–.046s and .010–.046s, respectively, and the whole band loves D’Addario NYXL sets.
So Bass-ic
Bassist Nick Jost is a Fender man, too, with a Precision Bass and American Professional Jazz Bass that both run through his mini-but-mighty rig: A diminutive Gallien-Krueger Legacy series head powers a classic Ampeg 8x10 cabinet. He usually plays with his fingers, but when he loses a game of dice on the road, he’ll sometimes be forced into playing with a pick.
Dual Stereo
Baizley and Gleason both run stereo amp setups. Baizley changes his amp backline often; he used to run twin Roland JC-120s but just recently switched in this Fender ’68 Custom Deluxe Reverb.
Gleason keeps the Fender train rolling with a ’59 Bassman reissue and a ’68 Custom Princeton Reverb.
John Baizley’s Pedalboard
Baizley’s board is packed with staged dirt boxes and tasteful mod stomps, all held in check with a GigRig G2, Peterson StroboStomp, and Ernie Ball Volume Pedal. The crown drive jewels are a heavily modded EHX Big Muff and Crowther Double Hot Cake, but a Beetronix FX Overhive and Pro Co RAT add some sizzle, too. A Boss DD-3, DM-2W, and TR-2, EarthQuaker Devices Dispatch Master and Tentacle, MXR Phase 90 and Dyna Comp, and EHX Deluxe Memory Man handle the rest, while a DigiTech Whammy lurks for its moment to blast off.
Gina Gleason’s Pedalboard
Gleason’s favorite drive these days is the EQD Zoar, their instant-classic 2023 release. Piling on top of that are a MXR Super Badass Distortion, MXR Timmy, modded EHX Big Muff, and a touchy Philly Fuzz Infidel prototype; an Xotic SP Compressor and UAFX 1176 Studio Compressor tighten things up when needed. Three time machines—the Strymon TimeLine, EQD Space Spiral, and Boss DD-3—handle delay, and a Walrus Slo dishes out reverb. The MXR EVH Phase 90 adds some color along with another DigiTech Whammy. The Ernie Ball Volume Pedal, Peterson StroboStomp, and GigRig G2 keep Gleason’s board in line, too.
Nick Jost’s Pedalboard
Jost’s bass board, powered by an MXR Iso-Brick, is a touch more simple, with an Ernie Ball Volume Pedal and Boss TU-3 for utility duties before an Xotic Bass BB Preamp, Boss ODB-3, DOD FX69B Grunge, MXR Stereo Chorus, and Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver DI.
Roland Jazz Chorus-120
Fender '68 Custom Deluxe Reverb
Fender Bassman
Fender '68 Custom Princeton Reverb
Fender American Professional Telecaster
Fender American Professional Stratocaster
Fender Precision Bass
Fender American Professional Jazz Bass
Gallien-Krueger Legacy 800 Bass Amp Head
Ampeg 8x10 Cab
Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Drive DI
MXR Iso-Brick
Boss TU-3
Xotic Effects Bass BB Preamp
Boss ODB-3
MXR Stereo Chorus
Modded EHX Big Muff
Boss DD-3
MXR Dyna Comp
Pro Co RAT
MXR Phase 90
Boss TR-2
EHX Deluxe Memory Man
EarthQuaker Devices Dispatch Master
DigiTech Whammy
Boss DM-2w
EarthQuaker Devices Tentacle
Peterson StroboStomp
Beetronics Overhive
EarthQuaker Devices Zoar
MXR Timmy
MXR Super Badass Distortion
Xotic SP Compressor
MXR EVH Phase 90
UAFX 1176 Compressor
Ernie Ball Volume Pedal
D'Addario NYXL .110 Strings
Strymon TimeLine
Oasis Live '25 UK and Ireland tour announced, featuring shows in Cardiff, Manchester, London, Edinburgh, and Dublin in the summer of 2025. The long-awaited reunion of Liam and Noel Gallagher promises to be one of the biggest live moments of the decade. Tickets on sale August 31st.
Oasis today ends years of feverish speculation with the confirmation of a long-awaited run of UK and Ireland shows forming the domestic leg of their OASIS LIVE '25 world tour. Oasis will hit Cardiff, Manchester, London, Edinburgh, and Dublin in the summer of 2025. Their only shows in Europe next year, this will be one of the biggest live moments and hottest tickets of the decade.
The Oasis live experience is unlike anything else. The roar that greets them as they step on stage. A set full of wall-to-wall classics. The spine-tingling sensation of being in a crowd singing back every word. And especially the charisma, spark, and intensity that only comes when Liam and Noel Gallagher are on stage together.
The brothers have flourished with their own projects since the band split in 2009, with ten UK #1 albums between them as well as countless festival headline sets and stadium and arena shows. But Oasis is something else. There has been no great revelatory moment that has ignited the reunion – just the gradual realization that the time is right. Yet the timing must be a subconscious influence. This Thursday represents 30 years to the day since their electrifying debut album Definitely Maybe was released, while 2025 will see the equally essential second record (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? reach that same anniversary.
Oasis commented,
“The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised.”
Plans are underway for OASIS LIVE ’25 to go to other continents outside of Europe later next year.
Oasis’ legend has only been amplified in their absence. The classics that Liam and Noel have played in their solo shows have inspired phenomenal public demand for the band to make a long-awaited return, while the Knebworth 1996 film provided a taste of their exhilarating live performances to a whole new generation. They remain a huge draw in the streaming era, with 21.5 million monthly listeners on Spotify alone and a total of 12 billion streams to date. This Friday will also see the release of the Deluxe 30th Anniversary Edition of Definitely Maybe, which is available to pre-order.
Tickets for the UK dates go on sale from 9 am local time on Saturday, August 31st, and will be available from ticketmaster.co.uk, gigsandtours.com, and seetickets.com. Dublin tickets will be available from 8 am that same day from ticketmaster.ie.
Tour Dates:
JULY 2025
- 4th - Cardiff, Principality Stadium
- 5th - Cardiff, Principality Stadium
- 11th - Manchester, Heaton Park
- 12th - Manchester, Heaton Park
- 19th - Manchester, Heaton Park
- 20th - Manchester, Heaton Park
- 25th - London, Wembley Stadium
- 26th - London, Wembley Stadium
AUGUST 2025
- 2nd - London, Wembley Stadium
- 3rd - London, Wembley Stadium
- 8th - Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
- 9th - Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
- 16th - Dublin, Croke Park
- 17th - Dublin, Croke Park
A quick recap of the Oasis UK story. Formed in Manchester, the band quickly became one of the biggest cultural phenomenons of the era as Definitely Maybe became the fastest-selling debut album in British history – and has since reached 17x Platinum in recognition of 5 million+ UK sales. All seven of their studio albums went straight to #1, as did their 2010 compilation Time Flies…. Their catalog features eight #1 singles, from “Some Might Say” to “The Importance of Being Idle,” as well as another fifteen Top 10 hits.
That huge following translated to the live arena, most famously playing to 125,000 people each night during two shows at Knebworth. Other big moments included two headline sets at Glastonbury in 1995 and 2004; huge homecoming shows at Manchester City’s Maine Road stadium; and a run of Wembley Stadium gigs which were documented in the live album Familiar To Millions.
Their accolades have included six BRIT Awards, including the Outstanding Contribution to British Music, two Ivor Novellos, and seventeen NME Awards.
For more information, please visit oasisinet.com.
Marshall mass in miniature.
Many inspiring and realistic big-Marshall tones. Cool variation in amp, cab, and room models.
Authentic as it sounds, it’s hard to replace the visceral experience of a big, bad stack.
$399
Universal Audio UAFX Lion ’68
uaudio.com
Though their ears may ultimately thank them, many guitarists never experience the visceral thrill of piloting a big Marshall plexi. But if nothing replaces the sensory wallop of standing before a stack—or the dynamic interactions such proximity affords—the art of digitally replicating those tonalities is in an elevated place. In terms of sounding satisfying on playback, Universal Audio’s UAFX Lion ’68 is at the leading edge, and a convenient path to big-Marshall-isms with minimum hassle and mega convenience.
The plexi-in-a-pedal format won’t work for players that need every amp and effect model under the sun. But if you relish Marshall tones, the Lion ’68 is a brilliant solution for tracking or gigging when the stack can’t make the trip. It offers an expansive tone palette, too. Super Bass and Super Lead models have ample headroom and reproduce the rich, underrated clean sounds of those amps as easily as they kick out Ramones walls of grind or Jimmy Page lead sizzle. The Lion ’68 exhibits lifelike dynamic response. It also reacts to gain devices as hectic as a Super-Fuzz with authenticity. The three amp models, six speaker cabs, and room ambience control offer scads of tone and dynamic variations. You can even jumper the two channels with realistic results. I still think I’d feel weird blasting MC5 riffs through a coffee house PA with the Lion ’68. But I would certainly try it in a bigger room and wouldn’t hesitate to record with this impressive plexi stand-in.
Featuring a unique Blah Blah Circuit for expressive filtering effects, versatile tone control, and premium Morley buffer circuit. Available exclusively through the LERXST Reverb Store for $299.
Spawned out of Lifeson’s long-time appreciation and use of the classic wah-wah effect, the Lerxst Blah Blah is a new breed of wah designed specifically for adventurous tone chasers. The Blah Blah uses Morley’s iconic switchless optical wah circuit as a springboard, carefully tuned by Lifeson and the engineers at Lerxst and Morley for an expressively vocal response that is equally usable in both classic and modern applications.
“Wah pedals have been an essential tool of sonic expression for me since the ‘Fly by Night’ album,” explains Lifeson. “With the ‘wah’ side of the Blah Blah, we really wanted to capture that classic sound while also giving it a wide enough frequency response to suit modern players.”
“The guys at Morley have designed some of the greatest wah pedals ever, so it was a natural collaboration to work on this project with them, and also see where we could take it next.”
The Blah Blah’s namesake Blah Blah Circuit is where the pedal sets its sights, and sounds, squarely on the future. Taking inspiration from Lifeson’s immediately recognisable Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction acceptance speech from 2013, the Blah Blah Circuit is a cornucopia of expressive, touch-sensitive filtering effects that evoke both vocal and synth-like sounds out of whatever instrument that is run through the pedal – including a recognizable ‘Blah’! The Blah Blah’s onboard tone control allows precise EQ control of these effects to make them fit perfectly alongside anything else in your pedalboard, or mix.
"Alex wanted us to create something unique and inspiring," said Morley Owner Scott Fietsam. "We certainly achieved the 'Blah-talkie' sound, but what surprised us was how versatile this pedal turned out to be. It opened up numerous sonic possibilities in both clean and distorted modes, making it enjoyable for a wide range of players."
Blah Blah Specifications
- Iconic Morley Switchless Optical Wah Circuit
- Switchable Blah Blah Circuit for Expressive Filtering Effects
- Versatile Tone Control for Blah Blah Circuit
- Premium Morley Buffer Circuit
- Sturdy Steel Enclosure
- Heavy-Duty Footswitch, Knobs, and Jacks
- LED Indicator Light
- 9V DC Negative Center Power
- Current Draw: 300mA
- $299
Asked to comment on the implications of such a unique wah pedal in a crowded market of effects, Lifeson said the following: “Blah blah blah, blah blah, blah. Blah blah blah blah, blah blah. Blah, blah blah blah. Blah blah. Blah blah. Blah blah blah, blah blah, blah blah blah. Blah? Blah blah blah, blah blah, blah. Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah, blah blah, blah.”
For more information, please visit lerxstamps.com.